Adjustable sliding side jaw wrench with stop means thereon



May 18, 1965 H. D. BOWMAN ADJUSTABLE SLIDING SIDE JAW WRENCH WITH STOP MEANS THEREON Filed Oct. 17, 1963 INVENTOR. HYMAN D. BOWMA BY W 049% A TQQNEY United States Patent 3,183,744 ADJUSTABLE SLIDING SIDE JAW WRENCH WITH STOP MEANS THEREON Hyman D. Bowman, PD. Box 735, Raleigh, N.C. Filed Oct. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 316,883 3 (Zlaims. (Cl. 81-465) This invention relates to wrenches of the type adapted to apply a nut to a bolt, and more particularly to an attachment for an adjustable wrench which will prevent the Wrench from slipping past a nut held thereby.

As is well known, difliculty is often encountered in attempting to hold a nut between the jaws of a wrench, particularly in cases where the wrench must be used in awkward positions or in locations where it is partially or wholly obstructed from view. Attachments for preventing slippage have been proposed for the so-called spanner wrenches having jaws separated by a fixed distance. Such attachments usually consist of a plate fastened to the handle of the wrench and having a bifurcated end which partially covers the opening formed between the jaws. A plate of this type, however, is generally not satisfactory for an adjustable wrench where one jaw moves relative to the other to accommodate nuts of different sizes.

Accordingly, as an overall object the present invention seeks to provide a new and improved adjustable-type wrench having means for holding the jaws of the wrench in position on a nut to be turned.

More specifically, an object of the invention resides in the provision of means on the jaws of an adjustable wrench which overlap the opening formed between the jaws in varying amounts, depending upon the size of the nut held 'by the wrench, to insure that enough of the opening will remain sufficiently unobstructed to permit a bolt to be threaded into the nut.

'Another object of the invention is to provide a device, as part of the means for preventing slippage of an adjustable wrench, for holding the adjustable jaws of the wrench in any desired fixed position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a wrench of the type described which is simple and economical in construction, and which may be attached as an auxiliary feature to an existing wrench or formed as an integral part of the wrench when it is initially manufactured.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the invention wherein the means for preventing slippage of a nut is an integral part of the wrench;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of another embodiment of the invention wherein the means for preventing slippage of a nut is fastened to the side of the wrench as an auxiliary unit;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the invention, similar to the embodiment as shown in FIG- URE 2 but incorporating a device, as part of the means for preventing slippage of a nut, to maintain the adjustable jaw of the Wrench in any desired fixed position; and

FIGURE 4 is a top view'of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the embodiment of the invention shown comprises a handle or shank portion 1 having a jaw head 3 at one end thereof. As in any adjustable wrench of this type, the jaw head comprise-s an upper or fixed jaw 5 which is integral with the shank por tion 1 and a lower adjustable jaw 7 which is movable with respect to the fixed jaw 5 to provide a variable-sized 3,183,744 Patented May 18, 1965 opening therebetween. The adjustable jaw 7 is provided at its rear edge with a rack 9 adapted to slide within a guideway formed in the jaw head 3. This rack operatively engages a worm wheel 11 secured within an opening 13 in the jaw head 3 for rotation about an axis extending parallel to the rack 9. As will be understood, the lower jaw 7 will move upwardly when the worm 11 is rotated in one direction; whereas the jaw will move downwardly when the worm is rotated in the opposite direction.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, the upper or fixed jaw 5 is provided with an integral flat member or flange 15 which extends outwardly over the nut-engaging surface 17 of the upper jaw to partially cover the variable-sized opening formed between the jaws. Similarly, the lower or adjustable jaw 7 is provided with an integral flange 19 which extends out over its nut-engaging surface 20 parallel to the flange 15 on the upper jaw and closely adjacent thereto whereby one flange will slide over the other in overlapping relation when the lower jaw is moved relative to the upper jaw. The terminating edges 21 and 23 of the flanges 15 and 19, respectively, are equally tapered or oblique to partially close the jaw opening to provide a minimum extension of the flanges over the jaw opening at the forward end thereof and a maximum extension over the rearward'end of the opening. In this manner, a generally V-shaped aperture is formed between the jaws which gradually increases in size as the jaws are separated. Thus, when a nut 27 is held between the jaws, the aperture provided by the V-shaped opening between the flanges l5 and 19 will be suflicient to permit a bolt 29 to be threaded into the nut. When the jaws 5 and 7 are separated to accommodate nut-s of larger sizes within the range of their opening movement, the if-shaped opening will also proportionately increase in size to allow largersized bolts to pass therethrough. At all times, however, the projection of the flanges 15 and 19 over the sides of the opening between the jaws will be sufficient to prevent the wrench from slipping past the nut 27.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 2 is similar to that shown in FIGURE 1; and, accordingly, elements in FIGURE 2 which correspond to those of FIGURE 1 are identified by like reference numerals. In FIGURE 2, the flanges covering a portion of the opening formed between the jaws comprise a pair of triangularly shaped plates 31 and 33 which are fixedly secured to the sides of the jaw head 3 by means of rivets 35 or any other suitable fastening means. As in FIGURE 1, the plates 31 and 33 are parallel to each other and closely adjacent in overlapping relation on the same side of the wrench whereby one plate will slide over the other when jaw 7 is moved relative to jaw 5. This, of course, necessarily implies that the lower plate 33 will have to be spaced further from the side of the lower jaw 7 than plate 31in order to enable the lower plate to slide over the upper plate. As was the case in FIGURE 1, the portions of plates 31 and 33 extending over the opening formed between the jaws terminate in tapered edges 32 and 34 which provide a minimum equal extension over the nutengaging surfaces of the jaws at the forward end of the opening and a maximum equal extension over the rearward end of the opening. The embodiment of FIGURE 2 has the advantage of being capable of application to presently existing wrenches and does not require the rather complicated castings for the jaws which would be necessary in the embodiment of FIGURE 1. If desired, a scale 36 may be provided on the plates 31 and 33 as shown to indicate the size of the nut or 'bolt held between the jaws.

As is shown in FIGURE 2, in accordance with one embodiment of my invention, I provide a scale 36 on one of the plates 31 and I provide an indicator mark 37 s eaveson the other plate 33 so that the operator jaw aperture to a predetermined spacing.

In FIGURES 3 and 4 another embodiment of the invention is shown wherein platesfil and 33 are secured to the sides of jaws 5 and 7 in a manner similar to that of FIGURE 2. In this case, however, a flat spring 41 is secured to the lower plate 33 and has a free end which rides against the worm 11. In this manner, the lower jaw 7 may be held at any desired position by the spring 41 which may be lifted from the worm 11 to permit adjustment of the lower jaw 7.

The invention thus provides a new and improved means for preventing slippage of an adjustable wrench past a nut. Although the invention has been shown in connection with a certain specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art that various changes in form and arrangement of parts may be made may adjust the to suit requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. In an adjustable wrench of the type having a pair of cooperating jaws each of which has a nut-engaging surface facing the nut-engaging surface on the other jaw, at least one of said jaws being movable toward and away from the other to provide a variable-sized opening be tween the jaws, the improvement of means carried by each of said jaws for preventing the wrench from slipping past a nut of any 'size within the capacity of the wrench held thereby comprising a first flange member fixedly carried on one side of one of said jaws and extending outwardly beyond the nut-engaging surface of its associated jaw to obliquely and partially cover one side of the opening formed between the jaws, and a second flange member fixedly carried on the corresponding side of the other of said jaws and extending beyond the nut-engaging surface of said other jaw to obliquely and partially cover length'beyond the nut-engaging surface at the rearward end of the jaws to a minimum length at the forward-end of the jaws, the flanges on the respective jaws being parallel to each other and closely adjacent to each other in overlapping relation on the same side of the wrench whereby one flange will slide over the other when one jaw is moved relative to the other, the arrangement being such that the two flanges form a V-shaped opening equally and partially covering one side of the opening for-med between the jaws to prevent the wrench from slipping past a nut held by any size within the range of opening of said jaws held thereby while at the same time permitting a bolt to pass through the jaws and a scale placed on one of said flange members and an indicating mark placed on the other of said flange members so that the scale and the indicating mark cooperate to show the relative movement of the flanges with respect to each other.

' 3. An adjustable wrench comprising ahandle portion having a jaw head at one end thereof, said jaw head having two substantially equal jaws thereon with one of the jaws being movable relative to the other, a rack on the movable jaw, a worm carried by the handle portion and arranged to cooperatively engage said rack whereby said one jaw will be moved toward the other jaw when the worm is turned in one direction and away from the other jaw when the worm is turned in the opposite disaid opening, said flange members being parallel and closely adjacent each other on the same side of the wrench and having edges which terminate over the jaw opening and taper along the depth of the jaw opening to provide a V-shaped opening 'therebetween with a minimum extension of said flange members over the jaw opening at the/forward end of the opening and a maximum extension at the rearward end of theopening whereby one member will slide past the other when one jaw moves relative to the other, said flange members being shaped to provide clearance for a bolt carried by a nut of any size within the capacity of the wrench to pass through the jaws while both flanges prevent the wrench from slipping past a nut held by said jaws.

2. An adjustable wrench for applying a nut to a bolt comprising a pair of cooperating substantially parallel jaws at least one of which is movable toward and away from the other to provide a variable-sized opening between the jaws, each of said jaws having a nut-engaging surface thereon and a generally flat flange member on one side thereof extending perpendicularly to said nutengaging surface, each of said flat flange members extending beyond the nut-engaging surface of its associated jaw toward the other jaw and tapering from a maximum rection, flat members carried on the sides of the respective jaws and extending over the opening formed between the jaws and perpendicular thereto, said members being parallel and closely adjacent to each other on the same side of the wrench and having edges which terminate over the jaw' opening and taper along the depth of the jaw opening to form a V-shaped opening to provide a minimum substantially equal extension of the flat members over the jaw opening at the forward end of the opening and a maximum substantially equal extension at the rearward end of the opening .to equally prevent the wrench from slipping over a nut held thereby while at the same time permitting a 'bolt'to be threaded into said nut throughout the range of opening of said jaws, and a spring member carried on one of said flat members and arranged to press against said worm to yieldingly resist turning movement of the same.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 481,230 8/92 Hoval 81-165 X 584,591 6/97 Johnson. 2,648,243 8/53 Chappel 81--165 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,23 2,509 4/ France.

3,886 1882 Great Britain. 22,578 1893 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner,

MILTON S! M R xa i r, 

1. IN AN ADJUSTABLE WRENCH OF THE TYPE HAVING A PAIR OF COOPERATING JAWS EACH OF WHICH HAS A NUT-ENGAGING SURFACE FACING THE NUT-ENGAGING SURFACE ON THE OTHER JAW, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID JAWS BEING MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE OTHER TO PROVIDED A VARIABLE-SIZED OPENING BETWEEN THE JAWS, THE IMPROVEMENT OF MEANS CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID JAWS FOR PREVENTING THE WRENCH FROM SLIPPING PAST A NUT OF ANY SIZE WITHIN THE CAPACITY OF THE WRENCH HELD THEREBY COMPRISING A FIRST FLANGE MEMBER FIXEDLY CARRIED ON ONE SIDE OF ONE OF SAID JAWS AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE NUT-ENGAGING SURFACE OF ITS ASSOCIATED JAW TO OBLIQUELY AND PARTIALLY COVER ONE SIDE OF THE OPENING FORMED BETWEEN THE JAWS, AND A SECOND FLANGE MEMBER FIXEDLY CARRIED ON THE CORRESPONDING SIDE OF THE OTHER OF SAID JAWS AND EXTENDING BEYOND THE NUT-ENGAGING SURFACE OF SAID OTHER JAW TO OBLIQUELY AND PARTIALLY COVER SAID OPENING, SAID FLANGE MEMBERS BEING PARALLEL AND CLOSELY ADJACENT EACH OTHER ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE WRENCH AND HAVING EDGES WHICH TERMINATE OVER THE JAW OPENING AND TAPER ALONG THE DEPTH OF THE JAW OPENING TO PROVIDE A V-SHAPED OPENING THEREBETWEEN WITH A MINIMUM EXTENSION OF SAID FLANGE MEMBERS OVER THE JAW OPENING AT THE FORWARD END OF THE OPENING AND A MAXIMUM EXTENSION AT THE REARWARD END OF THE OPENING WHEREBY ONE MEMBER WILL SLIDE PAST THE OTHER WHEN ONE JAW MOVES RELATIVE TO THE OTHER, SAID FLANGE MEMBERS BEING SHAPED TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE FOR A BOLT CARRIED BY A NUT OF ANY SIZE WITHIN THE CAPACITY OF THE WRENCH TO PASS THROUGH THE JAWS WHILE BOTH FLANGES PREVENT THE WRENCH FROM SLIPPING PAST A NUT HELD BY SAID JAWS. 